GUILTY PA - William Collins, 92, beaten to death, Tobyhanna, 27 Dec 2014

A Coolbaugh Township woman is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty this week to third-degree murder in the 2014 death of a 92-year-old man she was caring for in her home, First Assistant District Attorney Michael Mancuso said.

Judith Marc, 56, had been charged with murder, neglecting a person dependent on her care, aggravated assault, abusing a corpse and tampering with evidence in William Collins' death. Evidence shows she caused blunt-force trauma to Collins' head and neck and then staged it to look like Collins died from choking on peach slices, police said.

Marc said she had known Collins for 15 years and lived with him for the last five of those years, according to police testimony at her June district court preliminary hearing.

She was suspected of taking elderly people into her home, under pretenses of caring for them, in order to access their lives' savings, according to preliminary hearing testimony. Collins reportedly was the third elderly person who died in Marc's care.

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Two members of a Coolbaugh Township woman's family jumped out of their seats in outrage in court Monday, when hearing she will serve 15 to 40 years in state prison, after she pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the death of a 92-year-old man she was caring for.

"Guys, guys, it's OK," Judith Marc, 56, tried to tell upset relatives walking out of the courtroom as sheriff's deputies stood ready to address any further outbursts.

The prosecution believes Marc intentionally inflicted fatal injuries on frail, elderly William Collins, hitting him hard enough to break his neck and fracture his nose, and then stuffed sliced peaches down Collins' throat to make it look like he had choked while eating.

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Moments prior to the outbursts, Marc stood beside defense attorney Patrick Rogan and broke down in tears as she apologized for being responsible for Collins' death.

"I first want to thank God and say that I love Him," she said, reading aloud a prepared statement, occasionally pausing and wiping her eyes with a tissue. "I'm sorry for hurting William and his family. I accept judgement. I take full responsibility for his death. I loved him very much. I'm sorry."

"My uncle was viciously killed," said niece Ethel Collins-Smith, herself fighting tears. "Judith presented herself as a friend. We thought she had my uncle's best interests at heart. I believe her ultimate goal, when she took him from his home, was to get her hands on his property.

"My uncle will be greatly missed," she said. "We would like the court to impose the maximum sentence. My uncle didn't deserve what happened to him. No one deserves that."

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"This was a horrible way for someone to end their golden years, especially someone who had given so much to his family and his country," said First Assistant District Attorney Michael Mancuso, opposing Rogan's request for leniency. "Too add, along with the evidence of injuries was evidence Mr. Collins' health had been neglected, by the person who was supposed to be caring for him, for a period of time prior to him receiving his injuries.

"What we couldn't figure out was Ms. Marc's motive," said Mancuso. "We then learned Mr. Collins, prior to his murder, mortgaged $144,000 and was receiving more than $3,300 a month in income, so there appears to have been a monetary interest on Ms. Marc's part. This is a very, very disturbing case."

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